The Pirate in Lace
by katelisalyn
Summary: "An English woman-especially of high class-can not become a dirty pirate!" Tarah Corsain was born into a wealthy family with her father a politician. After her mother's words drive her over the edge, she runs away to Tortuga and joins up with the merry band of pirates on the Black Pearl, with no idea what she has in store.
1. Prologue

"So, you what's your story?" The man seated at the desk in front of me, who was called Mr. Gibbs, inquired of me. I laugh short in my throat.

"My story?" I asked, taking a swig from the bottle in my hand, which was actually full of water. It was only in my hand to make me look like I belonged here, in this bar in Tortuga. I was signing up to be on the crew of the infamous ship _The Black Pearl, _which was owned by the equally notorious pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Yes, ye ought to be here 'cause of a reason ye don't want to live, am I right?" Mr. Gibbs asked, tilting his head to the right a few inches. It takes me a second to realize he's probably flirting with me, but I brush away the notion. I need to get out of here, and fast. "That's all anyone 'round here wants." I laugh again, which startles the poor pirate, a scowl forming on his face. I note Jack has stopped fiddling with his compass to look over at us, his brow furrowed. Shaking my head, I answer him:

"No, I'm here to run away."


	2. Chapter 1

You know the story of Elizabeth Swann if you know the story of Jack Sparrow. Their fates were interestingly intertwined when Elizabeth was taken captive by cursed pirates aboard _The Black Pearl _because of a medallion Elizabeth found on a boy floating in the ocean when they were young. The boy, who's name was William Turner, grew to be a smithy, and grew to fall in love with Elizabeth, who was the governor's daughter. The pirates on _The Pearl _wanted the medallion to destroy a curse upon them, and they also wanted Captain Jack for some revenge reasons. William, who found Jack in his smith shop when hiding from the pirates, decided to force Jack to take him with him to retrieve Elizabeth. The two eventually caught up to the pirates, freed the curse, murdered some pirates, saved Elizabeth and gained Jack his ship back. Will and Elizabeth were both sentenced to hanging after saving Jack from being hung, but both escaped and Elizabeth was put in jail. Will left with Jack again to find a way to save Elizabeth, and Jack told Will of a key to the chest of the heart of Davy Jones, a cursed pirate captain who was forced to ferry souls from the living world to the underworld by his ship _The Flying Dutchman. _Jack told Will to go on a ship to get to _The Flying Dutchman _to settle his debt, as requested by mysterious woman Tiá Dalma. Will went aboard the ship and told Davy Jones about his deal, and Davy said that Jack would have to find 99 more souls to settle his debt. Jack was forced to leave, and went to the port island of Tortuga to find these 99 more souls.

That's where I come in. It was by fate's design that I was in Tortuga when Mr. Gibbs set up the table. I'm not what you'd call a 'typical' pirate. No, I wear the leather vest and white shirt. I have a tricorne hat, I wear the pants, the boots. I have a sword, a compass, a backup sword, and a bottle in my hand most of the time. I'm not typical because of what I wear or what I have. I'm not typical because I'm a girl.


	3. Chapter 2

I was like Elizabeth in many ways. I grew up in a high-class home in England. I wore the corsets, the lace, the latest fashions. My father was a bigwig-literally-in politics. My mother worked at home and took care of her five children. I was the oldest of them. At eighteen, my mother expected me to take care of them while she cooked, cleaned and did everything that mothers were supposed to do. I tried my best, but, you see, I wasn't a typical girl either. I was forced to wear the latest fashions because my mother threatened to sic the neighborhood drunks on me if I didn't. I was forced to stay home. I was forced to do things I didn't want to do. Such was life.

"Tarah," my mother would say, "you have got to understand: you can't change your life. You were born into a rich and wealthy family, so you must live with it. Changing it won't solve anything." I always held my tongue at my mother's words. If I argued, she would send me to my room with no dinner. I hated that. I'd learned the first time that sleeping without dinner causes one who usually eats three meals a day to have a very painful stomach when you wake in the morning. It never happened again, even though I really wanted to lash out at my mother multiple times when I was still home. That's why I was standing in front of Mr. Gibbs, in a bar full of drunk men and women, pretending to drink myself. I ran away from home.

My mother and I were quarreling about whether or not I could go ride my black horse, Ash. I was so persistent, so angry, that I exploded. I said things I knew I would regret later, but I said them. And they got the effect I wanted. My mother blew up, and said she didn't want to see my face again as long as I lived in this house. I ran up to my room in tears.

As I lay on my bed, I got the idea to run away. _She doesn't want to see me again, so what difference does it make? I'll just leave and not come back. She won't care. _I grabbed an old sack and made it into a bag to carry. Searching my wardrobe, I found a flimsy shirt and pants, along with a pair of knee-high boots and thick socks. It didn't take me long to get changed into them, then take my hair out and wrap it like I'd seen pirates do before. I grabbed the sack and slid it onto my back, scanning my room. It was full of fine furnishings: polished wood and leather, ruffles and cotton. But it was not me.

I slowly climbed out of my window and down the side of the house. My foot almost slipped on a brick, but my fingers gripped tightly to the railings. When my feet touched the ground, I let go and scanned the area, which was our backyard. There was no one in sight, so I took off running toward the one place I cared about on our land: the stables. I reached them in a few minutes, grateful to be wearing pants and not those horrible skirts. Being as careful and quiet as possible, I slid the stable door open and walked into the room. The wonderful smell of horses and hay met my nose, and I inhaled deeply, walking without thinking to Ash's stall. He was sleeping, his head bent down. I reached out and touched his face, which made him jolt awake. He saw me and instantly calmed down. I smiled, rubbing his coarse hair.

"Hey, buddy. Ready to go on a ride?" I asked, opening his stall door and going inside. He whiskered softly, and nuzzled me. I laughed while I grabbed his halter and lead him out of the stall. It didn't take me long to get him brushed and ready to ride, as I'd done it hundreds of times. I tied saddlebags to the saddle and filled them with things both of us would need: food, water, first-aid supplies and clothing. Once we were both geared up and ready, I led him out of the stable and through the double doors that opened to the field behind our house. After one last glance at our house and stable, I got on the saddle and grabbed the reins. Pointing Ash toward the field, I kicked him softly in the sides. He started off at a trot, but I forced him into a gallop, urging him to go as fast as he could. We could waste no time. I had to get out of there.

Ash and I fled from home, me clinging to his back like he was my lifeline. I led him out and away, into the forest behind our stables. We both knew the path well, and it didn't take long for us to bob and weave through the shrubbery. By the time we reached the end of our property, the first rays of light were starting to show through the trees. I stopped Ash and took a deep breath.

_What are we doing out here? _I thought to myself. _Why am I here? _

_To go to Tortuga. _A part of me answered.

_What's in Tortuga? _I stupidly asked.

_Pirates, Tarah. Pirates are in Tortuga. _

_And I'm a pirate. _

_Yes, you are a pirate. You're a bloodthirsty monster woman of a pirate. You're the most fearsome woman to set foot in Tortuga. _

_Yes. I am._

* * *

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